


a good shinobi

by sleepverses



Series: been trying to go home all my life [2]
Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Love Confessions I Guess, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-08 00:48:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20985179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepverses/pseuds/sleepverses
Summary: gai gives iruka a scroll kakashi did not mean for him to see quite yet.





	a good shinobi

**Author's Note:**

> “do you realize… i - i would have gone through life half-awake… if you’d had the decency to leave me alone?” - Maurice

Iruka-sensei, 

If you’re reading this, something must have gone wrong. Or you’re a snoop. Six of one, really. 

The thing about you, sensei, is you don’t go deliberately looking for trouble. You haven’t done that since you were a pre-genin. Lately, though, it seems like trouble seems to just fall into your lap; wouldn’t you agree, sensei? How would you have ended up saddled with Naruto, otherwise? Or me, for that matter. 

I used to walk around with blinders on, Iruka-chan. You were always in the background, a comforting village presence, but our social circles never really overlapped, did they? And then Naruto came around and changed everything. 

Suddenly you were everywhere. Before I could walk the streets for weeks, months, even, and never run into you, but within a blink, everything had changed, and I was seeing you even when I closed my eyes. 

A shinobi is a tool for his village. He has no thoughts, nor feelings, nor motive of his own. A good shinobi performs his duty single-mindedly, and without doubt.

Iruka-sensei. I am not a good shinobi. 

At one point, I was. The will of fire was my very reason for being. I lived and breathed for Konohagakure. In many ways, I still do. 

But you, Iruka, are the reason I am alive. I know that now. My hands are bloody, and they don't deserve to touch a golden, sweet thing like you, but God, do I want to. 

Being loved by you, and loving you has changed me. It’s as if I went to bed fine, and woke up desperate for you. I don’t know when you first infected me with that sunny smile, or honking laugh, or even the vein that throbs in your temple when Naruto nearly kills himself for the seventh time in a single day. 

Anyway.

Thank you for your love. 

Yours, in this world and whatever comes next,

Kakashi

Iruka slowly rolls the scroll back into its proper fastenings, and wipes his eyes. He glances at Kakashi, home from his mission and sleeping soundly in his hospital bed, recovering nicely from a combination of heavy blood loss and severe chakra exhaustion, mixed lovingly with overexertion and a healthy dose of stupidity. He was sure Gai-sensei had likely jumped the gun in breaking into his home and announcing his 'Partner of the Eternal Springtime' was close to death, and Kakashi would be none too pleased to find out Gai had given him the letter to boot. 

He didn't much care, though. 

As dappled moonlight peeks through the curtains and dances across Kakashi's unconscious form, Iruka leans over and presses an open mouthed kiss against a still, bandaged palm -- bloody, cracked nails and all.

**Author's Note:**

> hi. leave me a comment or a request for maybe what you'd like to see next, I guess? this series is truly just my love letters to kakairu and challenging myself to write even on my worst days (like today). if you liked it, please let me know. 
> 
> peace & love.


End file.
